DERBY PUBLIC SCHOOLS        

                                                    35 Fifth Street

                                          Derby, Connecticut 06418

                                      (203) 736-5027  fax (203) 736-5031  www.derbypride.org

Dr. Matthew Conway, Jr.                                                        

Superintendent of Schools     

February 2025

Academics

• CAPSS Federal & State Legislative Committee Meeting
• Affinity Meeting
• Held weekly meeting with  Director of Teaching and Learning
• Attended SCASA Professional Development Meeting
• Attended Superintendents’ Network Joint Meeting
• Attended Reading Leadership Implementation Council Meeting
• Read Across American – Read to Kindergarten Class at Bradley School
• Attended CAPSS Officers’ Meeting
• Held Administrative Council Meeting
• Attended Academic and Curriculum Committee Meeting

Human Capital

• Review New Climate Standards
• Held DEA Executive Board Meeting
• Attended Principal Meetings
• Reviewed Paraeducator Vacancies
• Held DEA Executive Board Meeting
• Met with Special Education Supervisors
• Attended Negotiations and Personnel Special Meeting

Operations

• Meeting on School Uniforms
• Attended Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen Meeting
• Innovative Technology Exploratory Meeting
• Attended Education Committee Public Hearing
• Attended Appropriations Subcommittees Elementary and Secondary Education
• Attended Plants and Facilities Meeting
• Attended Board of Education Meeting
• Held an Alliance Funding Meeting with Administrators
• Held Meeting with Principals on School Uniform Process
• Attended Education Public Hearings
• Held Air Filter Discussion UCONN, Ansonia Schools, Derby Schools
• Attended Zoom Meeting – Athletic Committee
• Attended meeting with City on Budget
• Attended Meeting on 21st Century Grant Connection
• Gave Testimony at Education Public Hearing
• Zoom meeting with Adam Scobie
• Attended Special Finance Committee Meeting

• Attended Committee of the Whole Meeting
• Attended the  School/Community Relations and Policy Committee Meeting

Culture/Climate

• Meeting with Cornerstone Christian Center
• Attended Albarella Banquet
• Met with Family – Student Matter
• Attended DHS McTeacher Night
• Attended Student Health and Safety Committee Meetings – Student Matters
• Visited All Schools
• Attended CT State Open Wrestling
• Attended Class S State Championship Competition, Cheerleading
• Attended New England Championship Indoor Track
• Attended Cross Country Banquet
• Held Parent Meeting
• Attended PROSPER meeting with Yale
• Attended Bradley School K-3 Family Literacy Night
• Attended Path to Success Mentoring Program Meeting
• Attended CCSU 093 Program Virtual Information Session and Participated in Superintendent Panel
• Attended DHS High School Musical Jr. Production
• Attended Best Buddies Ball

Athletic Updates

• Hosted the Berkshire League Wrestling Tournament on Feb 15th. DOHC placed 4th overall. Jax Opotzner (OX) Champion, Anthony Shivas (HC) Champion, Nate Wolyniec (OX) Runner-up, Scotty Makowski (AN) Runner-Up, Savion Gaywood 3rd place, Sean Franco 4th place and Jayden Cooper 4th place.
• Anthony Shivas was Runner Up in the 285 lbs weight class and Stophie Mraz placed 4th in the State Championship Meet
• Our Indoor Track teams competed at the Class S State Championship Meet on Feb 15th. The boys team finished as the Runner-up. Our boys 4x200m relay team of Jarrell Williams, Quincy Carter, Zyare Petree and Jalen Titus are State Champions. Sebastian Amaya in an amazing comeback after a torn ACL is the State Champion in the Pole Vault. They will be honored at the CHSCA Indoor Track All-State banquet at the Aqua Turf on March 12th. The girls Indoor Track teams 4x800m relay team  Cassie Silkoff, Sofia Rudus, Kezia Amartey and Kayla Adams placed 6th. Faith Anderson placed 5th in the Shot Put. For full results click here: Boys https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/572426/results/all  Girls https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/572425/results/all
• Quincy Carter placed 18th at the New England Championship Meet in Boston, MA in the 55m Dash
• Our qualifiers for the CT State Indoor Track Open Championships competed on Feb 22nd. Our best result came from  Quincy Carter who placed 4th in the state in the 55m dash, with a PR of 6.53 seconds, and has qualified to compete at the New England Championship Meet in Boston, MA on March 1st. For Full Results click here: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/572436/results/all
• Our Cheer team competed at the NVL League Championship on Feb 15th. Seniors Krystal Torres and Aniyah Rogers were named to the All-NVL team. They will be competing in the Class S Cheerleading State Meet on March 1st at Trumbull HS beginning at 9am.
• Cheer Placed 6th in the State Championship Competition

• Our wrestling team competed at the Class M State Championship Meet on Feb 21st on 22nd and placed 13th overall. Senior Anthony Shivas (HC) earned his 3rd straight State Championship. Nate Wolyniec (OX) placed 5th. Both wrestlers have qualified to compete at the CT State Wrestling Open Championship on Feb 28th and March 1st at the Floyd Little Center in New Haven. For Full Results click here: https://www.flowrestling.org/events/13140543-2025-ciac-division-m-championship/results?facets=%7B%22divisionName%22:%22High%20School%22,%22teamName%22:%22Derby%2FOxford%2FHoly%20Cross%22%7D 

• Sophie Mraz, our only remaining female wrestler, placed 4th in her weight class at the Queen of the Mat Meet at Foran HS on Feb 23rd. Sophie will compete in the CT Girls State Championship Meet on Feb 28th and March 1st at the Floyd Little Center in New Haven. 
• Congratulations to Sophomore Shea Gray on earning All-NVL Second Team Honors for the second year in a row.
• We held the Albarella Banquet on Feb 23rd, after being postponed 1 week due to weather. We honored this year’s football and cheer seniors. The Albarella Trophy Award winner was Jayzair Barbera.
• Jaylen Titus has been chosen as our National Football Foundation Casey O’Brien New Haven County Chapter Scholar Athlete Award Selection. Jaylen will be honored at a banquet on April 27th at Woodwinds in Branford.    
• We hosted the Unified teams from Woodland and Torrington for a cornhole tournament on Feb 25th. The teams enjoyed 2 games of cornhole, a Bar-B-Q and a dance party. We are excited to host the CIAC for the NVL Unified Basketball Tournament on March 6th at 3:15pm  
• We have named our CIAC Scholar Athletes for the 2024-2025 School Year. Seniors Brianna Kling and Nicholas Sheridan will be honored at a Banquet at the Aqua turf on May 4th.

For Information on School Events:  

Little Raiders University: https://www.derbypride.org/our-schools/little-raiders-university#h.gj07dzf6p0r7

Wednesday, March 12th Parent Conferences, Early Dismissal

 Monday, March 17th  St. Patrick’s Celebration

           Dr. Seuss silly stories and fairy tales

Bradley School: https://www.derbypride.org/our-schools/bradley-school#h.fc3zn7up45xr

Please check out the latest newsletter:  newsletter.

Monday, March 3, 2025 –Read Across American – The weeklong celebration of Dr. Seuss

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – Bradley School K-3 Literacy Night

Irving School:  https://www.derbypride.org/our-schools/irving-school#h.3sgf6fd5kmc7

Irving School Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/h85yg  

Monday, March 3, 2025 –Read Across American – The weeklong celebration of Dr. Seuss

Monday, March 10, 2025 – JA in a Day – Junior Achievement Day!

Friday, March 14, 2025 – Pi Day – A celebration of the amazing number

Monday, March 17, 2025 – St. Patrick’s Day

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 – Community Meeting

Derby Middle School:  https://www.derbypride.org/our-schools/derby-middle-school#h.z4nyo2f9doub

DMS Newsletter:  https://secure.smore.com/n/yr8kq-dms-staff-week-ahead?ref=email

March 3-7, 2025 Participated in Read Across America

Friday, February 28, 2025 - Interactive Theater Presentation for all Students (presented in conjunction with Mr. Saccu)

Friday, March 14, 2025 – Pi Day – A celebration of the amazing number

Monday, March 17, 2025 – St. Patrick’s Day

Derby High School:  

https://www.derbypride.org/our-schools/derby-high-school#h.edwh8wnag2na

Latest Newsletter: Check it out here:  https://secure.smore.com/n/rg83t 

Friday, February 28, 2025 - Interactive Theatre Presentation for all Students (presented in conjunction with Mr. Saccu)

Friday, March 7th and Saturday, March 8th – Derby High School will perform High School Musical Performance

Monday, March 10 – March 21, 2025  – Program of Studies and online course registration process.  Click here to access the DHS 2025-2026 Program of Studies:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wLmqVdZrBDb60pc6j6BlTxYgyKGlfVZcRc1b1Xjk5CI/edit?usp=sharing

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the School Counseling office at 203-736-5032.

• Mr. Brian Nutcher, School Counselor (caseload last names A-L)  bnutcher@derbyps.org 
• Mrs. Jennifer Ostrosky, School Counselor (caseload last names M-Z) jostrosky@derbyps.org 

Monday, March 24, 2025 Derby Public Schools All City Concert, DHS Gymnasium